Police: Anne Arundel County House Fire Is Actually Hate Crime

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) — A horrifying hate crime in Anne Arundel County. A home was torched but it’s what investigators found outside the house that’s really disturbing.

Mike Schuh has more as police and fire officials search for answers.

Sexual and racial slurs were spray painted on the side of the house. That’s changed the entire scope of the investigation.

In cell phone video shot by a neighbor, you can see flames shooting out the windows of a Church Street home.

“I think there were people banging on the door and I heard banging noises,” said neighbor Roderick Lopez.

Lopez woke as other neighbors frantically tried to help the two elderly women and male caretaker who live there. Fortunately, no one was home but as the flames were doused, investigators saw something more disturbing.

“Firefighters did find what appeared to be graffiti or slanderous paintings, racial slurs and sexual slurs on the home,” said Anne Arundel County Fire Deputy Chief Michael Cox.

From Sky Eye Chopper 13, you can see the phrase “White Power” spray painted on the back deck. The other words are so offensive they can’t be shown.

Because of the words sprayed on the side of the home, Anne Arundel County police are now investigating this as a hate crime.

“It does raise suspicion or awareness with our crews. Fire investigators were called to the scene,” Cox said.

Investigators brought in an arson dog that found traces of accelerant inside the home. Now this neighborhood is on edge, wondering who set fire to this house.

“It’s terrible. I mean, it’s very surprising,” said one neighbor.

“That is a hate crime. It is an arson. That’s what’s actually frightening, to think that there’s a crazy person out here, just committing these kind of crimes,” said another.

Anyone with information on the hate crime should call Metro Crime Stoppers or the Anne Arundel County arson investigators.

The fire caused $150,000 in damage to that home.

Mike Schuh

Mike Schuh joined WJZ Eyewitness News as a general assignment reporter in 1993. During his time at WJZ, he’s received awards for a wide range of news stories. His 11 Emmy Awards were earned in the “Best Reporter,” “Writing,” “Hard News...

One Comment

When will WJZ quit providing free TV exposure to criminals by showing their graffiti to thousands of people and helping them to spread their messages of hate? It would be quite sufficient to vaguely describe the graffiti as simple “hate”, “racist” or whatever and not show it. The people who do that sort of thing do not need you helping them to spread their messages to lots more people and it is totally not needed in order to accurately report the news. In the case of that particular story, it would have been fine to say “authorities” suspect the arson was a hate motivated crime” as it was irrelevant who/what the person(s) involved hate.

Should we pour sugar on top of it with sprinkles?? Or we can keep it vague and sweep it under the rug. Or we can have Disney make a cartoon about it to make it more pleasant. Msking it will not make it go away. I do not condone in any way the culprits actions but hiding it is equally wrong.

It sucks to think that in this day and age this stupid $%@! still goes on. Its not a one sided coin the way the media would want you to believe.Its White’s who hate and Blacks who hate also. It makes no sense this should have been finished in the 60’s but it seems that both sides feel there is still a score to settle. Its time for us to grow up as a country and put all the racial BS behind and get to the matter at hand!!!!!

There are still racist Grandparents and family still pumping that vile hatred into their little children on both sides. Only through education, tolerance and natural death to those that still believe in separation of the races will this slowly leave our society

Maybe you’re right tylerjake, because Brooklyn Park is a multi-cultural community. I just think it’s a coward thing to do something this hateful to two older women. Older women who most likely remember more about racism then the b*%&ches that did this.

not necissarily, because hispanics are the mocha of the mix per se, they can technically affilliate themselves on either side of that coin based on personal preference. Some hispanics hate blacks more than any white person i’ve ever seen as it is the same vice versa. Racism is a trait of every creature regardless of deniability. It is natural… wrong but natural… I don’t see chimpanzees breeding with gorillas, or hawks breeding with crows. It’s wrong(racism) but as they say birds of a feather. Call me harsh or callous but the fact is that this is real and if each person doesnt do their part to tether our culture, we will be bound to actions like this and fear of being the next Egypt/Libya(racial/religious murder…err I mean oppression as the news would put it).